THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Monday 22 Feb 2021

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Public health minister confirms Sinovac vaccines to arrive on Wednesday

 

 

The first lot of Sinovac vaccine from China will arrive in Bangkok on Wednesday at 10am at Suvarnabhumi international airport, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Sunday.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1206998-health-minister-anutin-confirms-sinovac-vaccines-to-arrive-on-wednesday/

 

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Ang Thong province reports first new COVID-19 cases for two weeks

 

 

After more than a fortnight of no new COVID-19 infections and easing of restrictions, Thailand’s central province of Ang Thong today reported six new cases, most of whom had travelled to Pathum Thani province or had been in close contact with the infected people, according to the provincial health office.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207000-ang-thong-province-reports-first-new-covid-19-cases-for-two-weeks/

 

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Bodies of two crew members of trawler found while two others remain missing

 

 

Search and rescue teams have found the bodies of two of the missing crew members of the Chokechai Somboon 1 trawler, which capsized in the gulf, and are still looking for two others.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207001-cha-am-bodies-of-two-crew-members-of-trawler-found-while-two-others-remain-missing/

 

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Thailand ranked fifth best in world for cultural heritage influence in 2021

CEOWORLD magazine says for countries rich in heritage, Thailand is first that comes to mind

TAT Newsroom

 

 

Bangkok – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is pleased to announce that Thailand has been named the fifth best country for the cultural heritage influence in 2021 according to a recent report by New York-based CEOWORLD magazine.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207006-thailand-ranked-fifth-best-in-world-for-cultural-heritage-influence-in-2021/

 

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Phuket divided on taking COVID vaccine: Poll

By The Phuket News

 

 

PHUKET: People living in Phuket or with an otherwise vested interest in the island are divided over whether or not they would take a COVID vaccine at this stage, according to responses to an online poll conducted by The Phuket News.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207007-phuket-divided-on-taking-covid-vaccine-poll/

 

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Facebook takes down main page of Myanmar military

 

A woman looks at the Facebook logo on an iPad in this photo illustration taken June 3, 2018. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau/Illustration/File Photo

 

(Reuters) - Facebook on Sunday deleted the main page of the Myanmar military under it standards prohibiting the incitement of violence, the company said, a day after two protesters were killed when police opened fire at a demonstration against the Feb 1 coup.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207008-facebook-takes-down-main-page-of myanmar military/

 

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Monkeys still forced to pick coconuts in Thailand despite controversy

Months after reports that Thailand coconut farmers rely on monkey labor, a new investigation shows little action has been taken.

BY RACHEL FOBAR

 

Pig-tailed macaques are trained to climb trees and pick coconuts on farms throughout southern Thailand. When they’re not working, they’re often kept in chains.

 

Farmers in Thailand are still using monkey labor to supply coconuts to the international market...

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207009-monkeys-still-forced-to-pick-coconuts-in-thailand-despite-controversy/

 

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A Thailand mall has two San Francisco-themed floors and it's wonderful

Joshua Bote, SFGATE

 

A view of Terminal 21's Golden Gate Bridge tribute.

kittipong2016 / 123RF

 

A lovely — and pretty spot-on — homage to San Francisco is embedded in one of Bangkok's biggest tourist stops.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207010-a-thailand-mall-has-two-san-francisco-themed-floors-and-its-wonderful/

 

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PLAN Architect's Undulating Sindhorn Kempinski Hotel Opens In Thailand

 

Image by Ketsiree Wongwan

 

PLAN architects realizes its sindhorn kempinski hotel as a dynamic new landmark building in bangkok. a masterpiece building

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207011-plan-architects-undulating-sindhorn-kempinski-hotel-opens-in-thailand/

 

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Thailand NGO seeks halt to Mekong dam project in Laos, as threat to Asean’s most vital waterway grows

 

• Laos has seen a dam-building boom in recent decades - funded in part by neighbours China, Malaysia and Thailand - as it looks to cash in on energy resources 

 

• But ecological concerns, and the impact on local communities, have campaigners calling for a rethink on funding for the Luang Prabang dam project

 

Jitsiree Thongnoi

 

The Luang Prabang dam project on the Mekong in Laos. Photo: Shutterstock

 

A civic group in Thailand is petitioning the country’s financial institutions to withhold construction loans for the Luang Prabang dam project

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207012-thailand-ngo-seeks-halt-to-mekong-dam-project-in-laos-as-threat-to-asean’s-most-vital-waterway-grows/

 

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Trade between Denmark and Thailand took off over 163 years ago

by Mette Larsen

 

Photos: Thanks to M/S Museet for Søfart

 

The Danish Embassy in Bangkok takes us back in time with this historical fact about Denmark – Thailand trading relations.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207014-trade-between-denmark-and-thailand-took-off-over-163-years-ago/

 

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12 Ratsadon protesters to be questioned by police about Feb 13th protest at Supreme Court

 

 

Summonses have been issued by the police for 12 members of the anti-establishment Ratsadon group for questioning over their alleged involvement in a violent protest in front of Thailand’s Supreme Court on the night of February 13th, during which 23 police were injured.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207015-12-ratsadon-protesters-to-be-questioned-by-police-about-feb-13th-protest-at-supreme-court/

 

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Bitcoin hits fresh high

 

FILE PHOTO: Representation of the virtual currency Bitcoin is seen on a motherboard in this picture illustration taken April 24, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

 

(Reuters) - Bitcoin continued gaining on Sunday, rising to a fresh high and extending a two-month rally that took its market capitalization above $1 trillion on Friday.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207016-bitcoin-hits-fresh-high/

 

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Israel's beaches blackened by tar after offshore oil spill

By Ari Rabinovitch

 

A clump of tar is seen on the sand after an offshore oil spill drenched much of Israel's Mediterranean shoreline with tar, at a beach in Ashdod, southern Israel February 21, 2021. REUTERS/Amir Cohen

 

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel is trying to find the ship responsible for an oil spill that drenched much of its Mediterranean shoreline with tar, an environmental blow that will take months or years to clean up, officials said.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207018-israels-beaches-blackened-by-tar-after-offshore-oil-spill/

 

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U.S. not 'out of the woods' as nation nears 500,000 COVID-19 deaths

 

NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci wears a lab equipment-themed mask as he arrives for a COVID-19 response event with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington, U.S. January 21, 2021. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States faces a dark milestone despite a recent decline in COVID-19 cases as it prepares to mark a staggering half million deaths this week, nearly a year after the novel coronavirus pandemic upended the country with dueling public health and economic crises.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207019-us-not-out-of-the-woods-as-nation-nears-500000-covid-19-deaths/

 

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UK to reopen in stages after driving down South African variant, Hancock says

By Kate Holton and Alistair Smout

 

A person waits to get the coronavirus vaccine as a health worker prepares an injection with a dose, at a vaccination centre in Westfield Stratford City shopping centre, amid the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London, Britain, February 18, 2021. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain has started to drive down cases of the more infectious South African variant of coronavirus and will only emerge from lockdown in stages to make sure that does not change, the country's health secretary said on Sunday.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207021-uk-to-reopen-in-stages-after-driving-down-south-african-variant-hancock-says/

 

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IAEA strikes deal with Iran to cushion coming blow of slashed access

By Francois Murphy

 

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif meets with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi in Tehran, Iran February 21, 2021. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

 

VIENNA (Reuters) - The U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Sunday it had struck a deal with Iran to cushion the blow of steps Tehran plans to take this week that include ending snap inspections, with both sides agreeing to keep "necessary" monitoring for up to three months.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207022-iaea-strikes-deal-with iran to-cushion-coming-blow-of-slashed-access/

 

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Bangkok nightlife set to reopen as decision on restriction easing due today

 

REUTERS FILE PHOTO for reference only

 

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) is expected to announce further easing of restrictions today (Monday).

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207028-bangkok-nightlife-set-to-reopen-as-decision-on-restriction-easing-due-today/

 

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Thailand pushes cannabis as next cash crop

 

REUTERS FILE PHOTO for reference only

 

BANGKOK, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Thailand is promoting cannabis as a cash crop for the country’s farmers as another source of income, a senior official said on Sunday.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207029-thailand-pushes-cannabis-as-next-cash-crop/

 

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Trump seeks return to spotlight with address to conservative meeting

By Steve Holland

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump (L) shakes hands with Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union, at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) annual meeting at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, U.S., February 29, 2020. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump will seek to return to the political spotlight in an address to a major meeting of conservatives, a source familiar with his plans said on Saturday, as the Republican plots his post-White House moves.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207023-trump-seeks-return-to-spotlight-with-address-to-conservative-meeting/

 

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Texas freeze led to release of tons of air pollutants as refineries shut

By Laura Sanicola and Erwin Seba

 

FILE PHOTO: A police officer drives past a refinery in the industrial east end in Pasadena, Texas, U.S., September 18, 2018. REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File Photo

 

NEW YORK/HOUSTON (Reuters) - The largest U.S. oil refiners released tons of air pollutants into the skies over Texas this week, according to figures provided to the state, as one environmental crisis triggered another.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207026-texas-freeze-led-to-release-of-tons-of-air-pollutants-as-refineries-shut/

 

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United Airlines Boeing 777 lands safely in Denver after engine failure

By David Shepardson

 

United Airlines flight UA328, carrying 231 passengers and 10 crew on board, returns to Denver International Airport with its starboard engine on fire after it called a Mayday alert, over Denver, Colorado, U.S. February 20, 2021. Hayden Smith/@speedbird5280/Handout via REUTERS

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A United Airlines flight landed safely at Denver International Airport on Saturday after its right engine failed, the Federal Aviation Administration said, with dramatic images showing debris from the plane scattered on the ground.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207027-united-airlines-boeing-777-lands-safely-in denver after-engine-failure/

 

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Foreigners should be FORCED to have a Covid-19 vaccination - and they should pay for it, Thai poll

 

Image: Daily News

 

A Nida poll conducted last week in Thailand revealed that nearly half of Thais think that foreigners should be forced to have a Covid-19 vaccination. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207047-foreigners-should-be-forced-to-have-a-covid-19-vaccination-and-they-should-pay-for-it-thai-poll/

 

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Phuket’s first travel bubble ‘villa quarantine’ tourists arrive

By Eakkapop Thongtub

 

Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

 

PHUKET: Phuket’s first ‘travel bubble’ tourists, who will be observing a ‘villa quarantine’ at the five-star Sri Panwa resort on the island’s east coast, landed at Phuket International Airport last night (Feb 21).

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207050-phuket’s-first-travel-bubble-‘villa-quarantine’-tourists-arrive/

 

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“Elephant ticket”: Opposition MP accuses police officers of paying bribes for promotions

 

PIcture: Bangkok Business News

 

A leading and controversial Thai opposition politician has weighed into the debate about patronage and favors in the Royal Thai Police saying it has continued throughout the time of the NCPO to the present day. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207052-“elephant-ticket”-opposition-mp-accuses-police-officers-of-paying-bribes-for-promotions/

 

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Benjakitti Forest Park: Huge new green-space in Bangkok set to fully open by Feb 2022

 

Picture: Manager

 

Aerial photography posted on Facebook showed the latest developments in the continuing development of what will be known as Benjakitti Forest Park in Klong Toei in downtown Bangkok.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207054-benjakitti-forest-park-huge-new-green-space-in-bangkok-set-to-fully-open-by-feb-2022/

 

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Tiger in the Masters' final round? 'God, I hope so,' says Woods

 

Feb 21, 2021; Pacific Palisades, California, USA; Max Homa poses with the winners trophy with event host Tiger Woods following his playoff victory in the final round of The Genesis Invitational golf tournament at Riviera Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY

 

(Reuters) - Will Tiger Woods prowl into Augusta National this year? Even the 15-time major winner can't say for sure.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207058-tiger-in-the-masters-final-round-god-i-hope-so-says-woods/

 

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Elderly mother and son receive SEVEN MILLION BAHT in donations after plight goes viral on social media

 

Picture: Manager

 

Pictures posted online last week that tugged at the Thai heartstrings resulted in a staggering 7,200,000 baht in donations to a Kamphaeng Phet mother and her son. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207059-elderly-mother-and-son-receive-seven-million-baht-in-donations-after-plight-goes-viral-on-social-media/

 

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Australian won't change planned content laws despite Facebook block - lawmaker

 

A 3D printed Facebook logo is seen in front of displayed Australia's flag in this illustration photo taken February 18, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

 

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia will not change proposed laws that would make Alphabet Inc's Google and Facebook pay news outlets for content, a senior lawmaker said on Monday, despite vocal opposition from the Big Tech firms.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207062-australian-wont-change-planned-content-laws-despite-facebook-block-lawmaker/

 

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New COVID-19 infections at double digits for third consecutive day

 

REUTERS FILE PHOTO for reference only

 

Thailand reported 89 new coronavirus cases on Monday, the third consecutive day where the number of new infections have been at double digits.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1207064-new-covid-19-infections-at-double-digits-for-third-consecutive-day/